Cork City Council received 323 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests last year, while Cork County Council handled 295 requests and South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital processed 132 requests, according to the Information Commissioner’s annual report published today.

The figures are part of a nationwide surge in FOI activity, with 41,660 requests made to public bodies across Ireland in 2024: an 11% increase on the previous year and the highest number since the introduction of the new FOI Act in 2014.

Information Commissioner Ger Deering said:

“The number of FOI requests made in 2024 is the highest since a new FOI Act was introduced in 2014, and is up 49% since 2015.”

The HSE topped the list nationally with 13,310 FOI requests, followed by the Department of Social Protection (2,618), TUSLA (1,401), and the Department of Justice (1,216). The Information Commissioner’s Office, which reviews decisions made by public bodies under the FOI Act, received 772 applications for review in 2024: a 16% rise on 2023.

The Commissioner’s report highlighted several significant decisions from last year, including directing RTÉ to release costs of sending staff to cover the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. In another case, Limerick City and County Council was ordered to grant access to records about the resurfacing of a private road under the Local Improvement Scheme, with the Commissioner noting a “significant public interest” in transparency around the use of public funds.

The FOI Act provides the public with rights to access records held by government departments, health sector bodies, local authorities, and other public organisations. Citizens can appeal to the Information Commissioner if their FOI request is refused.

The full annual report is available at www.oic.ie.